Tag Archives: bicycling
A bike-centric post for National Bike Month (and week)
So as many of you know, May is National Bike Month, and this week is National Bike Week. And over the past week or so I have been seeing a fair amount of bike activity. The biggest being that there are tons of people on bikes with the warm weather upon us (I just wish more of them would follow the rules of the road). Anyhow, I thought I’d post a few random photo representing this. Pictured above are two bikes which are part of the brand new Buffalo Bike Share program…I have been seeing these bikes everywhere. Below are two friendly guys (And I am really sorry that I cannot remember your names) who are offering free breakfast or take-away lunches or coffee from Cafe 59 (in recognition of Bike Week). The chap on the left is from Rick Cycle Shop right across the street, and on the right is from Go Bike Buffalo…thanks guys! The next photo down shows a full “parking lot” at the local JCC (you can see the Mundo in the distance). Next are a couple photos of random bicycle tire sculptures I’ve been seeing around. And the last photo really has nothing to do with bikes other than I pass it everyday while riding one…but I really like it. Anyhow, to quote Freddy Mercury…get on your bikes and ride!
A bike-centric post for National Bike Month (and week)
So as many of you know, May is National Bike Month, and this week is National Bike Week. And over the past week or so I have been seeing a fair amount of bike activity. The biggest being that there are tons of people on bikes with the warm weather upon us (I just wish more of them would follow the rules of the road). Anyhow, I thought I’d post a few random photo representing this. Pictured above are two bikes which are part of the brand new Buffalo Bike Share program…I have been seeing these bikes everywhere. Below are two friendly guys (And I am really sorry that I cannot remember your names) who are offering free breakfast or take-away lunches or coffee from Cafe 59 (in recognition of Bike Week). The chap on the left is from Rick Cycle Shop right across the street, and on the right is from Go Bike Buffalo…thanks guys! The next photo down shows a full “parking lot” at the local JCC (you can see the Mundo in the distance). Next are a couple photos of random bicycle tire sculptures I’ve been seeing around. And the last photo really has nothing to do with bikes other than I pass it everyday while riding one…but I really like it. Anyhow, to quote Freddy Mercury…get on your bikes and ride!
And by the way…
And by the way…
Art Imitating Life…Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#484)
On the bike….photos of bikes carrying things on bikes being carried to an art gallery by one of the bikes in the photos carrying and being carried by bikes.
If you are in the Buffalo area and are at all interested, I’ll have a few photos from the Things That Can be Carried on a Bike series in the below show.
Main (St)udios Buffalo
515 Main Street
Opening Friday May 17th, 2013, 12-2PM & 7-9PM
Runs through May 30th, 2013
The show benefits Go Bike Buffalo.
A Pro-Bike Post (haven’t had one in a while)
Thoughts on Vehicles and Personal Transport
Food for Thought (a pro-bike post)
I found these images at various locations with a simple Google search. As many of you know I’ve been car-lite for years and am recently car-free. It’s interesting that I’ve been without a car for nearly two months and I barely notice it (this winter will be the true test). And I realize that if you are reading this blog I am likely “preaching to the choir,” but I found these images interesting and thought I’d share. Peace.
New York State Paid Me to Remove My Truck from the Road
Yup, it’s true. Many of you know that I recently sold my truck, and after being car-lite for many years I am finally car-free (I did recently join Buffalo Car Share but haven’t used it yet…haven’t used a car in more than a month actually). Anyhow, as if the savings from the true cost of car ownership weren’t enough, New York State sent me a refund check for un-registering my truck. A few weeks ago when I turned in my plates the nice woman at the counter told me I would likely receive a check in the mail because I had almost a year left on my vehicle’s registration. Honestly, when she told me this I just sort of shrugged it off…yea, right, like the state is going to give me money back for this, I thought to myself. Well, I stand corrected. The proof is above. And it’s interesting that in the past month or so that I have not had my truck I haven’t really missed it (obviously it’s much easier this time of year while the weather is nice). And while I enjoy the benefits of physical exercise and the peace of mind riding a bike or walking, a side benefit is that it’s a lot easier on my wallet…and that makes me happy.
Bike to Work
I knew that May was National Bike Month but was not aware that today–May 18th–was National Bike-To-Work-Day. It’s likely that to many who read this blog this is irrelevant information as you may ride to work on many days already (sort of like preaching to the choir), but I thought I’d say it anyhow…Happy bike-to-work-day!
The Perpetual Motion of Life, a Favorite Gandhi quote, and a Who Song
“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”
–Mahatma Gandhi
Tall Bike
I rode past this tall bike today and did a u-turn to come back and take it’s picture…that is one tall bike. I’ve profiled a tall bike builder previously on this blog, but haven’t seen many of them around lately. As I was taking the bike’s picture a young woman rode up. I commented on how tall the bike was, she smiled and rolled her eyes slightly and said that it was her boyfriend’s bike, that he didn’t build this one but he does build them. She told me his name but it escapes me at present. But it is a pretty interesting bike and I thought I’d share it…it sure is tall.
Earth Day
Bicycle Ambulance
The Man Who Lived on His Bike
This short film (3 minutes) is excellent. I loved it. Whether you ride a bike or not it will undoubtedly make you smile…and the music is good, too. Here’s a description from the author:
I love being on a bike. It helps me feel free. I get it from my dad.
After 382 days spent riding through the streets of Montreal, being sometimes quite cold, sometimes quite hot – and sometimes quite scared, I dedicate this movie to you, Yves Blanchet 🙂
Buffalo Soldiers
Well first off, the title of this post has nothing to do with soldiers in the city where I was born and live, Buffalo, NY. It’s referring to the Twenty-fifth United States Infantry Regiment, also known as Buffalo Soldiers, which was at the time a racially segregated regiment.
I’ve posted the above picture before and enjoy it so much that I use it as the background image on my computer at work (click it for a larger view). Sometimes while I’m eating lunch I sit and look at it, and that’s just what I was doing today (I love how proud they look). It’s an image captured in 1896 by Frank Jay Haynes in Yellowstone Park. That summer they rode those heavy bikes nearly 2000 miles/3218 kilometers, while carrying all their gear and wearing heavy wool clothing…impressive by any means. And I can’t imagine the hardships they likely endured…not just physical but also emotional and racial (this was 1896 after all). I was thinking this as I looked at the photo today, and found it so inspiring (and also remembered that it is Black History Month) so I thought I’d re-post the photo with a couple additional photos and a few new words.
Here’s some stats (borrowed from The Historical Museum of Fort Missoula.
Duration of trip: June 14 – July 24, 1897, 41 days.
Distance traveled: 1900.2 miles in 34 days of actual travel. An average of 55.9 miles per day and 6.3 miles per hour.
Delays: the command was delayed a total of seven days for the following reasons:
13 hours repairing bicycles
4 7/60 hours fixing tires
117 hours for lunch
71 1/3 hours for other causes.
The heaviest soldier, stripped, weighed 177 pounds; and the lightest 125 ½ pounds; the average weight being 148 ½ pounds.
The oldest man was 39 years old, the youngest 24 years; the average age was 27.
What I find fascinating about these guys–besides their heavy clothing and gear–is that the bikes themselves were likely heavy and they were fixed gear. And most incredible, I think, is that the roads were not paved.
The last time I posted the top picture, a follower of this blog, alerted me to a book he had written about these soldiers titled, Rescue at Pine Ridge. To read more about their fascinating history click here or here.
Lastly, I leave you with the song bearing the same name as these soldiers, by Bob Marley.
A Few Things I Saw While Riding My Bike Today
Clever
I came across this sometime ago and downloaded it. While looking for another image today I came across it again and it made me chuckle a bit (but, of course, there is some truth to the label). Anyhow, I thought I’d share and re-post it. My apologies, but I cannot remember who the original author or artist is.
And Now For Something Really Interesting…
I have long been interested in the history of the bicycle. I’ve also been to California numerous times, though never to Los Angeles. And quite frankly, I would never think of bicycle history and Los Angeles in the same thought. More likely, and this is stereotyping (please, Los Angelers, don’t send me hate mail), I think of cars and wide highways. But 100 years ago this wasn’t the case…they were on the cutting edge. You can imagine my surprise and intrigue when I came upon an article about the California Cycleway. Built in 1900 and dismantled about 10 years later, it’s original intention was to link Pasadena with L.A….via an elevated bike path. To read more about it on Wikipedia, click here. For a well-written story about it–with more photos, I recommend this site. Am I the only cyclist who thinks that path looks like a ton of fun?